1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Trifles. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
-The story of Trifles takes place in the Wright household located on a farm in the Midwest during the daytime in the 1920’s. The people involved are Mr. and Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Peters, Mr. and Mrs. Hale, the Sheriff, and the county attorney. The dramatic situation is the investigation into the murder of Mr. Wright. All of the characters (except for Mrs. Wright) are in the house trying to figure out clues as to how Mr. Wright was killed.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
-The intrusion that causes the stasis to end and the dramatic action to begin is when Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale find the dead bird strangled at the neck.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor that is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
-The unique factor that causes a turn of events is when Mrs. Wright said that her husband was laying dead upstairs. However, when she was saying this, she didn’t seem phased, shocked, or sad. Mrs. Wright did not display any emotion. When all of the other characters were in the house looking for clues, one could say that a unique factor was that the men were the ones responsible for finding the motive/clues to the murder but it was the women who solved the crime.
4. State the dramatic question or questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
-The dramatic questions that must be answered are: “Who killed Mr. Wright?” and “Why did this person kill him?”
5. Use Ms. Hale to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles for Ms. Hale.
-As the story plays out, Mrs. Hale’s desires evolve. At first, she wants to help gather some of Mrs. Wright’s belongings so that she may give it to her while she is in jail. However, Mrs. Hale starts to wonder if Mrs. Wright killed her husband and wants to know the answer. For Mrs. Hale, she faces 3/4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of the character. She faces “Me vs.Myself” when her and Mrs. Peters are contemplating hiding the bird, “Me vs. another individual” when her and Mrs. Peters end up finding the murder evidence before the men, and “Me vs. Society” when she obstructs justice when she ultimately decides to conceal the dead bird from the men.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. In your estimation what is the most theatrical moment in Trifles and what happens during that moment which is so important to the outcome of the play?
-In my estimation, the most theatrical moment in Trifles is when the doorknob turns when the county attorney and sheriff enter the room where the women discovered the dead bird. This is important to the outcome of the play because if the men see that the women discovered the dead bird, they would use that as evidence to convict Mrs. Wright for the murder of her husband. However, since the women are hiding that evidence, it is likely that Mrs. Wright will not be charged with murder.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Trifles. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
-Three examples of images include the Wright’s marriage, the canary, and the sewn garment. By definition, a trifle is a thing of little value or importance. This draws parallels to the quality of marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Wright because to Mrs. Wright, the marriage had little love, value or importance; hence why she killed her husband. The next image is the canary. The canary was found dead and strangled by the neck and she kept the canary in a box. This draws parallels to the death of Mr. Wright because she killed him by strangulation and left his body on the bed. Lastly, when the county attorney found the sewn cloth and asked the women how Mrs. Wright was going to sew the piece, Mrs. Hale replied “Knot it”, which drew a parallel to the conclusion of the play.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Trifles.
- The themes in this play include Feminism and Justice. During this time period, women were often seen as just an asset to a man and were often ignored and treated without much respect. After Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters spoke about the quality of life that Mrs. Wright had to endure, they understood her pain and hid the proof of her crime. Justice is another theme because throughout the play, the men were trying to bring justice to Mr. Wright by trying to solve his murder. However, the women are trying to bring justice to Mrs. Wright by helping to conceal evidence that could be used against her.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with Trifles? Is family redefined in Trifles?
-Family is incorporated into the play. We have two married couples, Mr. and Mrs. Hale and Mr. (the sheriff) and Mrs. Peters. All four of these characters play critical roles in this play. Also, the quality of marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Wright and the absence of children are critical when examining how poorly Mrs. Wright was treated and how discontent she was with her life. Family is not redefined in this play.
-The story of Trifles takes place in the Wright household located on a farm in the Midwest during the daytime in the 1920’s. The people involved are Mr. and Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Peters, Mr. and Mrs. Hale, the Sheriff, and the county attorney. The dramatic situation is the investigation into the murder of Mr. Wright. All of the characters (except for Mrs. Wright) are in the house trying to figure out clues as to how Mr. Wright was killed.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
-The intrusion that causes the stasis to end and the dramatic action to begin is when Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale find the dead bird strangled at the neck.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor that is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
-The unique factor that causes a turn of events is when Mrs. Wright said that her husband was laying dead upstairs. However, when she was saying this, she didn’t seem phased, shocked, or sad. Mrs. Wright did not display any emotion. When all of the other characters were in the house looking for clues, one could say that a unique factor was that the men were the ones responsible for finding the motive/clues to the murder but it was the women who solved the crime.
4. State the dramatic question or questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
-The dramatic questions that must be answered are: “Who killed Mr. Wright?” and “Why did this person kill him?”
5. Use Ms. Hale to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles for Ms. Hale.
-As the story plays out, Mrs. Hale’s desires evolve. At first, she wants to help gather some of Mrs. Wright’s belongings so that she may give it to her while she is in jail. However, Mrs. Hale starts to wonder if Mrs. Wright killed her husband and wants to know the answer. For Mrs. Hale, she faces 3/4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of the character. She faces “Me vs.Myself” when her and Mrs. Peters are contemplating hiding the bird, “Me vs. another individual” when her and Mrs. Peters end up finding the murder evidence before the men, and “Me vs. Society” when she obstructs justice when she ultimately decides to conceal the dead bird from the men.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. In your estimation what is the most theatrical moment in Trifles and what happens during that moment which is so important to the outcome of the play?
-In my estimation, the most theatrical moment in Trifles is when the doorknob turns when the county attorney and sheriff enter the room where the women discovered the dead bird. This is important to the outcome of the play because if the men see that the women discovered the dead bird, they would use that as evidence to convict Mrs. Wright for the murder of her husband. However, since the women are hiding that evidence, it is likely that Mrs. Wright will not be charged with murder.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Trifles. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
-Three examples of images include the Wright’s marriage, the canary, and the sewn garment. By definition, a trifle is a thing of little value or importance. This draws parallels to the quality of marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Wright because to Mrs. Wright, the marriage had little love, value or importance; hence why she killed her husband. The next image is the canary. The canary was found dead and strangled by the neck and she kept the canary in a box. This draws parallels to the death of Mr. Wright because she killed him by strangulation and left his body on the bed. Lastly, when the county attorney found the sewn cloth and asked the women how Mrs. Wright was going to sew the piece, Mrs. Hale replied “Knot it”, which drew a parallel to the conclusion of the play.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Trifles.
- The themes in this play include Feminism and Justice. During this time period, women were often seen as just an asset to a man and were often ignored and treated without much respect. After Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters spoke about the quality of life that Mrs. Wright had to endure, they understood her pain and hid the proof of her crime. Justice is another theme because throughout the play, the men were trying to bring justice to Mr. Wright by trying to solve his murder. However, the women are trying to bring justice to Mrs. Wright by helping to conceal evidence that could be used against her.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with Trifles? Is family redefined in Trifles?
-Family is incorporated into the play. We have two married couples, Mr. and Mrs. Hale and Mr. (the sheriff) and Mrs. Peters. All four of these characters play critical roles in this play. Also, the quality of marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Wright and the absence of children are critical when examining how poorly Mrs. Wright was treated and how discontent she was with her life. Family is not redefined in this play.